The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank. We are dedicated to informing and improving public policy in California through independent, objective, nonpartisan research.

Our central audiences are California’s elected officials at the local, state, and federal level. We also seek to inform engaged Californians—from the media to leaders in the business and nonprofit communities.

Our Work
PPIC delivers actionable, reliable, objective research to help the state find systemic and sustainable responses to a range of policy challenges.

PPIC includes three policy centers. The PPIC Higher Education Center advances practical solutions that enhance educational opportunities for all of California’s students—improving lives and expanding economic growth across the state. The PPIC Statewide Survey provides a voice for the public and likely voters on key policy issues facing the state. And the PPIC Water Policy Center spurs innovative water management solutions that support a healthy economy, environment, and society.

Our outreach efforts connect with a variety of policy-minded groups. Our researchers participate in the public debate in numerous ways, from contributing to PPIC’s blog to providing expert testimony to lawmakers.

Our Research Staff
Our multidisciplinary research staff includes experts in economics, demography, political science, sociology, and environmental resources. The institute expands its research capacity with adjunct fellows and a summer intern program.

Our Story
Since 1994, PPIC has helped California’s leaders to better understand policy issues by providing them with research that is free of partisanship or ideological biases. Today, we are a highly respected resource on a range of critical issues—encouraging productive dialogue and inspiring the search for sustainable solutions in Sacramento and across the state.

PPIC was founded by three leaders of extraordinary vision who shared a deep concern about the future of their state: Roger W. Heyns, former chancellor of University of California, Berkeley; Arjay Miller, former president of Ford Motor Company and former dean of Stanford Business School; and William R. Hewlett, co-founder of Hewlett-Packard Company. An endowment from William R. Hewlett made their vision possible.